So, here’s the scoop: Two guys, Henry Remington Herod from Minneapolis and Matthew McDowell from Port Allen, Louisiana, are in some serious trouble. They’ve been charged with trying to scam the U.S. government out of over three million dollars in tax refunds. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced the charges, which include conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false claims.

Between April 2022 and May 2023, these two allegedly cooked up a scheme to file fake federal income tax returns for themselves and others. They made up false employment, income, and tax credit information to get big refunds that they weren’t entitled to.

For the 2021 tax year, Herod filed bogus tax returns claiming refundable sick and family leave tax credits for self-employed folks who couldn’t work because of COVID-19. Then, for the 2022 tax year, both Herod and McDowell filed more fake returns, this time claiming refundable tax credits for federal taxes paid on fuel supposedly used for off-highway business purposes.

In total, they filed 115 fraudulent tax returns, raking in about $3,032,839 in refunds they shouldn’t have gotten.

Now, Herod and McDowell are each facing one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. On top of that, Herod is hit with nine counts of making false claims. They both made their initial court appearances in December 2024 and were released with conditions.